Joystiq

Quantum Conundrum review: First rule of physics, don't talk about physics

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 17:15:00 EST

Back in February, Airtight Games creative director Kim Swift told us that she wanted Quantum Conundrum to play like a Saturday-morning cartoon - lighthearted with a slapstick edge, similar to Looney Tunes or Cartoon Network programming. This may be why I found it so unnerving that Quantum Conundrum reminded me more of Fight Club than any kid-friendly cartoons.

The standard-edition DVD of 2002's Fight Club has a looping menu that plays a round of light, elevator-style percussion music while the screen flickers invitingly on the Play button; this lasts just long enough to lull the passive listener into a false sense of tranquility, before it smashes into a measure of jarring electrical guitar and pulsating images for a few terrible seconds. Then the screen clears, and the torture repeats.

One night in my wayward youth, I fell asleep watching this Fight Club DVD. For hours after the movie had finished and returned to the menu, I would be jolted awake just enough to know nothing about what was going on, only to immediately fall back asleep once the soothing interlude picked up again. For hours. It was disorienting, sinister and, looking back on it, kind of hilarious.

Quantum Conundrum's soundtrack may be similar to Fight Club's menu screen's, but the game itself rides those same waves of frustration, persistence and disjointed comedy - the game is lovely, but the story is jarring. Some of its story elements are almost funny, some of the narrative almost make sense, all of it almost reaches a realm of lucid clarity. And yes, it does this for hours.

Gallery: Quantum Conundrum (6/21/12)

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Quantum Conundrum review: First rule of physics, don't talk about physics originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Henry Hatsworth's brilliant return

Eric Caoili — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Screens

Disappearing off the map shortly after it was introduced last February -- and briefly reappearing at E3's Into The Pixel exhibit -- EA Tiburon's mystery puzzle/platforming DS game has finally been officially announced as Henry Hatsworth In The Puzzling Adventure.

To jog your memory, the colorful 2D title follows British adventurer Henry Hatsworth as he explores 30+ levels over five exotic worlds, hunting down artifacts that will grant him new powers and ultimately unlock a golden mech suit. And that's just the top screen!

On the touch screen, players are presented with a puzzle game which can be used to gain power ups and helath, as well as transform Hatsworth into different forms. Jump past the post break for videos of the game that were debuted earlier this year at GDC.

Continue reading Henry Hatsworth's brilliant return

Henry Hatsworth's brilliant return originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E308: EA Tiburon's quirky 2D platformer/puzzler reappears

Eric Caoili — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

Remember this khaki-clad British explorer, Hatsby? EA Tiburon's Kyle Gray introduced the character's charming sprite and his untitled puzzle/platforming DS game at GDC earlier this year, but we haven't seen or heard any news from him since! All we have had to go on all these months were the videos he left behind, which we've embedded past the break!

Artwork for the game has mysteriously popped up on the official site for Into the Pixel, an art exhibit collecting exemplary works of video game art and scheduled to open to the public at October's E for All Expo. The piece, titled "Puzzle World Twilight" and submitted by EA Tiburon concept artist Jay Epperson, shows Hatsby taking to the nighttime skies against a backdrop of Chinese paper cut outs.

Though we were already excited with the hybrid game's promises of an opera-singing boss, a robotic construct of Big Ben, and some unexplained touchscreen puzzle running alongside the platforming action, after seeing this gorgeous art, we can't contain ourselves! Tell us your secrets, Hatsby, you magnificent bastard!

Continue reading E308: EA Tiburon's quirky 2D platformer/puzzler reappears

E308: EA Tiburon's quirky 2D platformer/puzzler reappears originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Coloring in Plop Invaders

Eric Caoili — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: Homebrew

Plop Invaders can be very fun and rewarding, provided that you actually know what you're supposed to be doing. Even if you're completely clueless, though, as we were for the first two hours when trying it out, the homebrew title is still quite addictive. Luckily for you, we'll be going over the basics so that you're not left in the dark by the game's French tutorial.

The match-three core is deceptively simple -- slide a row or column to zap a batch of "plops" off the screen. Knocking out one of the smiling pieces changes its background color until it finds a hue to settle on. Once you've painted the entire grid, you advance to the next level. We weren't aware of this mechanic at first, as we mistook it as a graphical glitch. You can imagine how frustrating this got towards the later, larger puzzles.

The battery on the right acts as a timer, recharging slightly with each cleared clump or combo. When the timer runs out, the level ends, sending you back a few puzzles. There are two helpful power-ups that you can get after a long chain of popped plops, one of which recharges the battery, while the other starts you off with a fresh set of pieces.

After the fifth level and an animated cutscene (!), the game starts to randomly litter the playing field with what appears to be dog poop. Contrary to common sense, bagging up the excrement is actually inadvisable, as eliminating too many of them leads to an automatic loss. Leaving too many scattered, however, severely limits your ability to clear plops.

Even at its .51 build, the puzzles are tremendously satisfying, and we highly suggest that you try Plop Invaders out. Considering that the homebrew game is available for free to play on your DS or emulator of choice, do you really have any excuse not to?

Coloring in Plop Invaders originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Puzzle Quest coming to Wii?

Eric Caoili — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Rumors

The latest mumbling amongst mumbling folk is that a Wii release might be planned for Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. Amazon has listed a Wii version of the Bejeweled/RPG hybrid at a budget price of $29.99, due this September 25th.

So what can we hope for with this port? New content? Honestly, we don't expect much beyond bug fixes. Added waggle controls, then? Not if we're lucky. Online battles, at least? Though this is implemented in the upcoming XBLA version, and the new product page mentions the ability to "Battle other Warlords for supremacy via wireless multiplayer," this seems like a fool's hope. That bullet-pointed feature was most likely gleaned from a previous press release, and it seems far too early for a niche release on the Wii to support online multiplayer.

You'll find no truer friends of Infinite Interactive than us, but there are just so many ways a port like this can be messed up.

[Via Joystiq]

Rumor: Puzzle Quest coming to Wii? originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Jul 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A puzzling connection

Eric Caoili — Mon, 21 May 2007 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Homebrew, Screens

Setsuzoku no Puzzle, or Puzzle of Connections, is worth a playthrough just for its synthy score; besides, downloading the homebrew game and listening to the music tracks takes little to no effort. Actually clearing a level or even learning how to attack the puzzle, however, will require a considerable amount of work.

Modeled after Match It, a 1989 arcade game, you'll have to knock out 140 tiles against a timer. Each multicolored square has a symbol -- moons, stars, and other Lucky Charms marshmallows -- that you can link with an identical piece to remove them both. Though your connecting line can stretch all the way across the playing field, the catch is that the link must turn no more than two corners to be valid.

You'll suffer several frustrating losses before you get to the point where you've trained your eyes enough to spot similar tiles, but the satisfaction that comes after everything "clicks" and you complete a level is ample reward. If you get stuck, you'll be able to hit X to have the computer eliminate a match for you several times. Head past the post break for more screenshots of the homebrew puzzler.

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A puzzling connection originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 May 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lumines II downloadable demo

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:05:00 EST

Filed under: Lumines, Demos

Longtime PSP Fanboy readers know that we love Lumines II. For the unacquainted, this puzzler from game guru Mizuguchi combines music and highly addictive gameplay for a truly mesmerizing experience. Try this new demo, fresh from the game's Japanese website.

1. Download the demo EBOOT file.
2. Connect your PSP to your computer using a USB cable.
3. Go to the PSP/GAME folder.
4. Create ULJM05232 folder.
5. Copy EBOOT file into the ULJM05232 directory.

Check out our new demos site:
demos.pspfanboy.com

Lumines II downloadable demo originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Word wrapper's delight

Eric Caoili — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Homebrew

We go nuts over puzzle games that put our near-limitless lexicon to good use, so we take every opportunity to highlight releases like Bob Fossil's Word Wrap. His homebrew project digitizes the word hunt games found in daily newspapers where you have to form as many words as possible with a restricted set of letters. The end result is not only fun, but it manages to improve on the traditional pencil/paper experience.

You spell out your text by tapping the characters on the touchscreen, sending them to the top screen's list of completed words. Jumbling the letters to get a new perspective of your selection has also been simplified with a "wrap" button. Call us lazy if you want, but this setup beats the pants out of having to write everything out by hand!

There are two Time Attack styles where you can work against the clock by either finding the longest word or collecting a specified amount of words. There's also an Endless option where you can sift through the shuffled letters at your own pace. Each mode comes with three difficulty levels, but being the word geniuses we are, it's "go hard or go home" for us.

[Via Drunken Coders]

Word wrapper's delight originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Apr 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WRUP: More puzzles than you can solve edition

David Hinkle — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: What are you playing?

For us Americans, we received quite the puzzling update this week. Not puzzling in the sense of confusing, but puzzling because they were basically all puzzle games. Those with a thirst for word and number puzzles are in for one grand old time, apparently.

So, what will you be playing this weekend? Plan on taking the DS out into the wide world to get your game on? Or will you be enjoying the plush comfort of your home with your dual-screened buddy this weekend?

Previous posts: What were you playing?

WRUP: More puzzles than you can solve edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DS Fanboy Favorites: Eric's top five

Eric Caoili — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Homebrew, GBA, Features, Meta

All this week, the DS Fanboy staff is letting you in on a few of their favorite titles. Each day, a different member of the staff will present their personal top five DS games along with a snapshot of their gaming paraphernalia and habits, in an effort to provide our readers with a little more information on the tastes and personalities of our writers.

When my afternoons aren't busied by hours of photoshopping cat heads onto pictures of my friends, I pass the time with puzzlers and plumbers on my DS Lite. But those kitten-free days are few and far between, so I end up being able to only fit either the most polished or the most eccentric games into my packed schedule. Wario: Master of Disguise? Sorry, I've got things to do and feline faces to retouch. Lost in Blue 2? I'll have to pass -- I'm already lost in trying to get these whiskers to look perfect.

My collection is a mishmash of AAA titles and niche releases, their cases piled atop one another like a Jenga stack of mismatched blocks, threatening to topple over at any moment. Just pulling a game from the middle of the shaky structure is an act preceded by hours of anxiety and self-doubt. Having my wife provide commentary during the ordeal, remarking "Oh god, it's going to crash this time for sure, I just know it. Why'd you even try, Eric?! Game over, man! Game over!" as I tug out my copy of Advance Wars DS doesn't make the challenge any easier.

So when I do manage to put aside the pussycat photos and secure a game to play, it better damn well be worth it. Journey forth and read which of those titles have captured a place not only on my top five list, but in my heart.

Continue reading DS Fanboy Favorites: Eric's top five

DS Fanboy Favorites: Eric's top five originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Apr 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GBA wishes come true at The Old Well

Eric Caoili — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Homebrew, GBA

Originally intended as a demo to entice interested publishers, The Old Well has been sitting in Athletic Design's vaults since 2004. The Swedish developer abandoned its hopes of a commercial release for the GBA title as years passed, and has decided to hand the puzzle platformer over to the homebrew community.

The Old Well starts with a cute introduction to the game's story and controls, but it's easy to pick up after a few seconds. Avoid the falling bricks that track your position, don't get trapped in a pit, and line up the slabs to progress to the next "level." You can punch, push, and jump over the blocks, so you aren't a complete slave to their whims. There's a limited amount of punches that you're able to throw before becoming tired, but you can get your energy back during the lunch breaks that come every ten levels.

The game plays out like a reverse Mr. Driller, forcing you to constantly move around and climb the accumulating landscape until you can pull yourself out of the well. It's a fun diversion, and you can't argue with the price.

GBA wishes come true at The Old Well originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Apr 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tetris and Boggle's illegitimate love-child

Eric Caoili — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 19:15:00 EST

Filed under: Homebrew

Though we've already spent the afternoon filling your plate with enough puzzle posts to feed you for the next week, we'd be remiss not to mention today's full-version release of WordUp!, one of the finest homebrew games to ever hit the Nintendo DS. WordUp! follows the footsteps of other stylus-driven puzzlers like Tetris and Zookeeper, combining accesibility and portability for an addictive mix.

Linguaphiles will take great pleasure in connecting the game's adjoining letter blocks, spelling out words to clear chunks of the playfield. The top screen serves as a window to your inevitable doom, colorcasting the continuous stream of blocks piling on top of letters you've neglected. The game ends if you go too long without clipping a column, but you're presented with a satisfying record of your longest word, the number of words rubbed out, and which word was repeated most often.

In addition to its solid gameplay, developer Superpanic sweetened WordUp! with an unlockable arcade mode, three difficulty options, and an original and catchy soundtrack. Drop past the post break for more screenshots of this excellent game.

[Via Drunken Coders]

Continue reading Tetris and Boggle's illegitimate love-child

Tetris and Boggle's illegitimate love-child originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hacker gets revenge on Puzzle Quest's bullying AI

Eric Caoili — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff, Video

We're not certain what sort of demonic sacrifices Infinite Interactive made to grant Puzzle Quest its hellborn AI, but we imagine that the cursed contract that authenticated the ceremony was written with the blood of many innocents. The match-three puzzler does everything short of outright cheating, stealing your advantages and setting up multiple combos, each computer-cleared gem bearing the mark of Mephistopheles.

DS gamer Zaraf plotted a strategy that would tear down the AI's defenses and avenge dozens of unfair losses. Unwilling to spend months leveling up and making preparations, staying his vendetta, he hex-edited the game to to max out his character's stats. Zaraf then armed his warrior with a class spell called Deathbringer, enabling him to fill the screen with an amount of damaging skulls equal to half of his red mana. Head past the post break for the results caught on video.

Continue reading Hacker gets revenge on Puzzle Quest's bullying AI

Hacker gets revenge on Puzzle Quest's bullying AI originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look into Cube's level editor

Andrew Yoon — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Cube

D3 wants Cube to be the next puzzle sensation on PSP. Our initial impressions of the budget title are quite favorable, and one tool we're looking forward to using is the game's extensive level creator. The editor comes unlocked from the very beginning of the game, so fiendish designers can cook some devious designs from the get-go.

Unfortunately, my puny brain can't seem to understand the seeming complexity of the feature. A PDF file on Cube's official website attempts to detail the process, but my limited brain capacity is proving to be quite meddlesome. Hopefully, I'll be able to construct a few of my own puzzle creations. Until then, feel free to read GameZone's interview with Maru Nihoniho, Game Designer of Cube to get more details on this upcoming game.

Look into Cube's level editor originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle Quest's AI doesn't cheat, but you can!

Eric Caoili — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: News, Fan stuff

If the number one complaint gamers have with Puzzle Quest is its limited availability at game shops, then the second most common point of protest would be the Puzzle/RPG's cheating AI. People are just as apt to sing praises about its addictive gameplay as they are to howl over the AI's godlike prescience. We've spent more than a few battles shaking our fists at the game as computer-controlled enemies racked up lucky combos and more extra turns than chicken on a rotisserie.

Sensing that the mob was two forums threads away from storming his house with torches and pitchforks, Infinite Interactive's Steve Fawkner made a public statement assuring players that the AI has no unseen advantages. Having worked on the code himself, Steve reasoned that he's too lazy to have programmed anything that advanced.

If that explanation isn't convincing enough, there are still steps you can take to even the playing field. You can unlock a debug menu by pushing in a complex set of keypresses, allowing you to activate several hidden features. Check past the post break for more details on the cheat code and a comic about Puzzle Quest's AI.

Continue reading Puzzle Quest's AI doesn't cheat, but you can!

Puzzle Quest's AI doesn't cheat, but you can! originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 01 Apr 2007 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle Quest loved by Penny Arcade, tossed aside by game shops?

Eric Caoili — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Rumors

Ever since Infinite Interactive released a PC demo for Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, gamers have been scrambling to find a DS or PSP copy of the title. The addictiveness of its Puzzle/RPG blend is matched only by its apparent rarity in stores. NeoGAF forumer Eric P aptly described the game and its limited distribution when he posted, "If Bejeweled is crack, then this is Space Crack that you can only buy from Space Crips in Space Angeles's space ghettos."

Don't expect those Space Crips or your local shop to hang onto unsold copies for too long, though. According to Penny Arcade, Electronics Boutique stores in Canada might already be taking the game off their shelves due to disappointing sales. Considering that this much sought-after title was released only a week ago, ousting it this early in its lifetime seems downright unconscionable. We really hope this isn't a trend that other North American retailers will follow.

Meanwhile, both the DS Fanboy and Penny Arcade offices have been caught by Puzzle Quest's steely grip, rendering us incapable of focusing our thoughts on anything else. Tycho and Gabe have drawn up two comics about the title in just the past week, dedicating several posts to their adventures obtaining and playing the game.

Infinite Interactive's Steve Fawkner published a short comic of his own, explaining Puzzle Quest's shipment shortage. Check it out past the post break.

Continue reading Puzzle Quest loved by Penny Arcade, tossed aside by game shops?

Puzzle Quest loved by Penny Arcade, tossed aside by game shops? originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Mar 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercury Meltdown Revolution rolls onto Wii

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 15:15:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Puzzle

Ignition Entertainment has announced that the Mercury series of puzzle games will arrive on the Wii next Spring, in the form of Mercury Meltdown Revolution. As it involves you tilting the playing field in order to guide a blob of mercury to its intended destination, it doesn't take any sort of scientist to make the mental connection between the game and the Wii's unique controller. Ignition president (and non-scientist), Paul Robinson, explains that "the original game design was intended for a tilt controller. Now gamers can fully interact with the Mercury blob, navigating through the labs with precision and unprecedented speed."

The press release is quick to note other key features, such as the presence of over 150 levels, "advanced rendering techniques" and most importantly, "state of the art blob physics." Admittedly, we initially read that last one as something else entirely.

Mercury Meltdown Revolution rolls onto Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New puzzler, Cube, encourages sharing

Andrew Yoon — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Video, Cube

When I first saw an update for a new PSP game called Cube, I got scared. Was it a game adaptation of the film "Cube," one of the worst films I have ever seen? Thankfully, no. It's a new puzzle game from D3 Publisher. While the PSP is certainly not lacking in the puzzle genre, Cube deserves a bit of attention due to it being of the few games to take advantage of PSP's unique capabilities. Firstly, the game includes a level editor, allowing you to upload and download new content from other Cube owners. More excitingly, the game also features Game Sharing multiplayer, allowing gamers with just one copy of the game to go head to head. The lack of complexity in the graphics and presentation probably makes it possible for Game Sharing to work, and to be honest, I'm excited that it does. It's hard enough to find a PSP owner to play against; Game Sharing will make it infinitely easier to go head-to-head with a person next to you. Expect more updates as the game's February release gets closer.

[Via IGN]

New puzzler, Cube, encourages sharing originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Dec 2006 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gunpey gameplay footage

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 23:35:00 EST

Filed under: Gunpey, Video

Some people say I have an unhealthy obsession over Mizuguchi's games. Those people are not incorrect. Gunpey is a totally rad puzzler from the famed Lumines creator, and two new videos showcasing the music-infused puzzle gameplay have been released. The point of the game is to create a line that reaches from left to right... but of course, it's a little bit trickier than it sounds. If you haven't experienced Gunpey yet, now's your chance, after the break.

Continue reading Gunpey gameplay footage

Gunpey gameplay footage originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Sep 2006 23:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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